Light Isn't Always Good
by StorymasterQ
Summary: The Tennysons meet an alien girl who claims that the Omnitrix was being sent to her people. Under threat of another alien, the four must find a way to send word that the Omnitrix is in good hands. Pairings COMPLICATED. See end of Chapter 1. COMPLETED!
1. Smitten

Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or any of its characters. However, I do own all those who is not a cast of Ben 10, so don't touch them. If you want to use them, my contact info is on my profile. Contact me and we'll see.

* * *

Ben sighed as he looked outside. It had been raining hard, making the day looked like nighttime. The rain had stopped, but the clouds were still there, ever thick with no silver lining whatsover. He turned his view to the girl sitting in front of him, typing silently on her laptop. Even she looked bored. Ben swiveled on his seat, turning to his grandfather. "Are we there yet?" 

"No, Ben, we're not," Max replied calmly, "and we won't get there until nightfall. I told you that thirty-six times already."

"Some doofuses just can't understand, grandpa." Gwen quipped, not once stopped typing.

Ben turned to his cousin, but he was too bored to even think of a retort. "...Oh, shut up." he finally said as he threw his head onto his hands and laid them on the table.

Gwen glanced up from over her laptop screen, frowning slightly, then returned to her mindless typing.

"Mm-mm-mmm." Ben mumbled from his heap of hands.

"Hmm?" Gwen wasn't really paying attention.

Ben raised his face, "I wish something happens."

"Like what?"

"I dunno...Flying saucer? Near roadkill? Whatever..."

Gwen glanced up from her screen again, this time raising an eyebrow.

Ben grinned at her expression, or at least, the half he could see. He was about to comment when suddenly...

Max had one second to react. He slammed the brakes, sending the RV screeching through wet asphalt.

"Aaah!" Ben and Gwen were thrown onto the RV's aisle, and then onto each other.

The RV skidded, trying to stop, but the wet road was not helping. Max turned the wheel in an attempt to reduce the RV's momentum. The mobile home turned several times before stopping horizontally, blocking both lanes of traffic.

**BEN 10: Light Isn't Always Good**

**Chapter 1: Smitten**

Max grunted as he shook his head. He turned to his grandchildren. "Ben, Gwen, are you alright?"

Ben was laying on his back, with one of his feet was on the seat he was just sitting on, while Gwen was laying face down, on top of him, forming a cross. "Oooh...what happened?" Ben asked.

"Mmm..." Gwen slowly woke up.

Max returned his view to the road, which was both to his left and right. "There was something..."

A sharp blow was suddenly heard, indicating that someone, or something, had landed on the roof. Another blow quickly followed suit.

Max quickly jumped from his driver's seat and ran to his grandchildren. "Come on, we have to get out of here!"

Gwen clambered onto all fours and hastily crawled off Ben, while he rolled to the side and quickly followed suit. The family stormed out of the RV and instinctly turned to look at the roof.

Two shadowy figures were fighting each other with lightning-fast moves. The slippery condition and the darkness created by the rain had little effect to their movements. Even though one was much larger than the other, they seemed to be equal, until the big shadow struck the smaller one's chest in mid-air. A familiar sound of deactivated machinery cut through the darkness.

"T-That sound...!" Ben realized. "That sounded like the Omnitrix!"

"What?!" Gwen exclaimed.

The smaller figure landed on the road on his back, seemingly fainted. The bigger one walked calmly towards it. He then raised a fist.

A flash of green light preceded a blur of white and yellow. The bigger shadow only managed a glimpse of it before it hit him. He staggered back a few feet. He looked up to see a strange creature in white with black linings, with yellow bulges on his hands and shoulders. "Why did you stop me?" he asked in a coarse voice.

Ben, as Cannonbolt, raised a pointed finger at him. "I can't let you kill him just like that!"

The shadow stood straight. "This is not your battle. You have no idea what you're dealing with."

Ben took a stance to roll. "I still can't allow you to..."

"Oooh..." a small voice came from the smaller shadow.

The bigger shadow hmphed. "Well, I have the advantage now. I'll finish this later." he said as he jumped away.

As if the whole rain was because of the fight, as soon as he was gone, the clouds cleared. The afternoon sun finally shone through, and the first rays fell onto the small shadow figure.

"Oooh...I'm...I'm alive?" The owner of the voice was a girl.

Ben looked down in surprise. He watched as the girl resumed a sitting position. She didn't look much older than himself or Gwen. Maybe a year or two, tops. She sat there for a while, holding her head. Then, in a swift motion, she combed her long black hair with her fingers. The ray of sun falling on her made her look even more angelic.

Ben was transfixed. "Uh, hi..."

The girl turned to him. She looked at his Cannonbolt form for two seconds, wide eyed, before screaming and fainted again.

* * *

"Ben's got a girlfriend, Ben's got a girlfriend..." Gwen sung as she jumped around her cousin. 

"She's not my girlfriend!" Ben fumed. "I don't even know her name."

"Yeah, but you should've seen the look on your face when you first saw her. You were smitten." Gwen grinned widely.

"I am NOT smitten!" Ben exclaimed.

"Oooh..."

"Quiet, you two." Max hissed at them. "Our guest is waking up."

The girl opened her eyes slowly. The first face she saw was the kind face of an old man. "W-Where am I?"

"You're in my RV, the Rust Bucket." Max replied softly with a smile. "I'm Max Tennyson, and these are my grandchildren, Ben and Gwen."

The girl resumed a sitting position. "I'm...Hikari."

"Who were you fighting with?" Max asked.

"Yeah! You were awesome, being able to fend off someone that big!" Ben exclaimed as he jumped next to her.

Gwen just snickered at him.

Hikari turned to see him, then noticed his left arm. Her eyes widened. "T-That's the Omnitrix!"

The Tennysons immediately tensed. Everyone they had met so far who knew anything about the Omnitrix had wanted it, for one reason or the other. None of them had been particularly nice. With the exception of Hoverboard, of course.

"You...know about this?" Ben asked carefully.

Hikari looked up to him, her eyes watering. "My hero!" she exclaimed as she grabbed him into her hug.

* * *

Ben was still blushing when the four of them gathered on the RV's kitchen table. Max was sitting on a chair on the aisle, while Gwen was sitting next to Ben, near the window. 

"I'm sorry if I caused you discomfort." Hikari spoke slowly, looking down. Apparently, she was also blushing.

"Ah, that's alright..." Ben replied dreamily.

"What I want to know is," Gwen said with a strange tone, "what did you mean by Ben being your 'hero'?" she strained to say the last word.

Hikari sighed. She looked up to see the Tennyson's faces, ending on Ben's. "I came from a planet not far from this solar system."

That sentence alone made the three Tennysons gasp. "You're an alien?" Max asked.

"You sure don't look like one." Ben said, but immediately looked away, blushing.

Hikari smiled at him. "Yes, your people and mine share the same physiology. Apparently, evolution favors our worlds in similar ways. However," her face grew dark, "luck doesn't."

Hikari sighed as she began to tell the story of her people. The people of Lumenigra were a generally peaceful race, much like Earth. Then, a terrible enemy came. It was an alien from a world of shape-shifters. They easily infiltrated Lumenigran society and destroy it from the inside out by promoting distrust and wreaking chaos.

Finally, after two great wars, the aliens revealed themselves. Having reduced their enemies into a manageable number, they changed their tactic into full frontal assault. Being weak and vastly outnumbered, the Lumenigrans desperately seek help from their neighboring planets, which is when they heard about the Omnitrix.

"I don't know what you know about the Omnitrix," Hikari sighed, "but what we heard was that it was developed as a token of a peace treaty. People from different worlds donate their DNA as a sign of their inclusion in the treaty."

"Whoa..." Ben raised his left arm to look at the alien device. "I didn't know that."

"Still," Gwen frowned, "what does that have to do with Ben being your 'hero'?"

Hikari sighed as she looked up to Ben. "The Omnitrix was being lent to our people. Even though it was originally for peace, the situation demanded that it was to be used for war. The worlds joined in the treaty agreed, although not all initially. It was on a ship bound to our world when the transport was attacked."

"And it fell into that forest for me to find. The rest was history." Ben finished.

"I was sent here to find out what happened to it, " Hikari continued, "and when I saw it on you, I...kinda...overreacted." she blushed.

"Oh, I don't mind at all." Ben smiled at her, blushing slightly.

Gwen fumed at her gawking cousin. She then turned to Hikari. Her frown deepened as she saw her also looking dreamily at Ben. Although, she had to admit, Hikari was a pretty girl. Her dark hair contrasted with her pale skin and sky blue eyes, only to seem to blend back with her black jump suit. And then Gwen's eyes fell on her chest. "What's that?" she asked, pointing at a small emblem. The face was slightly cracked.

Hikari seemed forced to look down. "Oh, this is a N-Field Generator. This allows me increased abilities. Strength, speed, it even allows me to breathe in, and withstand the harshness of, space."

"Wow," Max hummed, "That's quite the technology. Why can't you just use that to fight against the aliens?"

"They may depend on infiltration to start their invasion," Hikari gritted her teeth, "but they aren't weaklings. We can't win even with the N-Field at full power. And now it's broken..." she finished with a sigh.

_"Well, I have the advantage now."_ Ben recalled the bigger shadow's words. "Don't worry, Hikari. We'll find a way to help your people."

Hikari smiled at him, then closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, but the only way is to put the Omnitrix on my planet and use it to drive the aliens away. And...I don't think I'm allowed to borrow you for any amount of time." she turned to Max.

But before Max had a chance to answer, Gwen stood up, slamming the table. "No way! There's no way you're taking my cousin in an interplanetary quest to some forsaken planet!"

"Gwen!" Ben exclaimed. He couldn't believe his cousin could act like that. A few moments before she was teasing him, and now she was overly protective of him?

Hikari looked up to her. "I know," she said calmly, "which is why I'll need your help to contact my people."

"What would that accomplish?" Max asked as he glared at Gwen.

Gwen felt her grandfather's glare and fell back to sit, folding her arms.

"If I can give word that I've found the Omnitrix, it will spread like wildfire, giving my people hope as well as a reason for the aliens to pack it and leave."

"But you won't be able to actually take the Omnitrix there." Gwen pointed out.

"Yeah. It's kinda stuck on me." Ben added.

Hikari nodded. "Yes, I heard the Omnitrix would do that. Anyway, as I said, it will provide hope, as well as a deterrent."

Max hummed. "I guess it might work. Where do you say your planet was?"

"Um, from here, it would be around there." Hikari looked the window and pointed to a star in the evening sky. "About a few hundred thousand light-years."

"Wow," Ben raised both eyebrows, "you're far from home."

Hikari shrugged a bit.

"Don't you feel lonely?"

"Sometimes," Hikari admitted, "but not anymore." She returned her eyes at Ben.

Gwen huffed as she looked away. She didn't need to see Ben's face to guess its color.

"Hmm," Max hummed. "I only know one place around here that might be able to send a message that far. It'll take us the best of the night to get there. I'd better get started." he said as he raised to stand. "Make yourself at home, Hikari. Gwen, can you whip up something for her to eat? She must be starving after that fight."

"Actually, Mr. Tennyson." Hikari said before Gwen had a chance to protest, "I'm fine. My people have a slower digestive system. We can withstand hunger much longer than Earthlings."

"Well, at least have a cookie." Max smiled. "And call me Max."

Hikari was about to say something, but was cut short by an open jar of cookies in front of her. She turned to see Ben smiling. She sighed. "Alright,...Max." she said as she took a cookie and bit off a piece.

Gwen just huffed.

* * *

A shadowy figure watched silently from atop a cliff as Max's RV started to move. He grunted as he squatted, then leaped. Jumping from trees to trees, he continued to follow them.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED... 

Author's notes: Hi! Here I am again with an epic adventure for you! This is my first Ben10 fic, so bear with me, m'kay? Alright, what do we have here? An alien girl fighting someone much bigger than herself. The seem to be equal until that Generator on her chest was destroyed (uh-hum, please keep your eyes firmly on the device and don't wonder...downwards. She's twelve, you sick bast...Wait, if I even suggested it, does that make me one myself?) She was then rescued by the Tennysons and later revealed that the Omnitrix was originally in transport for her people. I made that up, obviously, along with the fact that it was originally built as a peace treaty device. But all that do have significance later. A little trivia, N-Field is a nod to my real world name, which begins with the letter N :) Does that count as self-insertion?  
Also, what with Gwen's apparent hatred for Hikari? If you noticed, she only started this 'act' after Hikari hugged Ben. Gasp! Could she be...jealous?! Nah...although...could she...? All this have significance later. Don't yammer me with all 'But they're cousins!' stuff. Not yet, anyway. You'll just have to wait and read :) And now, review, please. All comments are welcomed, although any flames would probably be redirected at Heatblast's direction. He could use a meal :D  
I'll also need your input on whether I should continue with this or not...

PS: Max has little to say in this episode...I'll have to have him talk more later...It's hard to divide a scene between four people...(sigh)

PPS: In the summary I said the pairings are complicated. Well, it's kinda square-shaped. It's BenxOC1xOC2xGwenxBen (OC as in Original Character). It's a long while until you know what I mean, though. Again, please don't yammer me with 'But they're cousins!' stuff yet. It's all going to get clearer without getting too...offensive. I hope. One more thing, neither Ben or Gwen is adopted in this story. They are true first cousins. It'll be significant later. Thought I needed to clear that up.


	2. Just for Today

Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or any of its characters. However, I do own all those who is not a cast of Ben 10, so don't touch them. If you want to use them, my contact info is on my profile. Contact me and we'll see.

* * *

"_Gwen!_"

Gwen closed her eyes, letting the warm water from the shower fall on and around her head, blocking her ears. She could see the surprised face Ben had made the day before when she suddenly slammed her hands on the table in protest.

'_Why would I do that?_' Gwen thought. '_I was...What was I thinking?_' She kept questioning herself. '_Is it because I didn't want Ben to go away?_'

She sighed. '_Of course, he's my cousin. However much of a doofus he is, I don't want him to go away. Not to some faraway planet with little chance of meeting again..._' Suddenly, the warm water felt slightly warmer. At least, that would be her excuse for blushing.

Gwen raised a hand to touch her burning cheeks. '_No...it can't be...It's...Well, he's my cousin._' she tried to reason. Her thoughts then turned to the person that started it all, '_Hikari. I wonder what's with her. She kept clinging to Ben all night, making me sick. And the way Ben just let her do it. Geez,..._' She fumed.

'_He even explained to her how the Omnitrix works. Heh, what a show-off._' Gwen then frowned, '_He even went so far as changing into Grey Matter. Right in front of her. And then she called him cute! The nerves!_'

Then, two knocks arrived on the bathroom door. "Gwen! Hurry up, you're hogging the bathroom!" Ben yelled. "Geez, why do girls always take so long..." he muttered as he walked away.

Gwen fumed. "I heard that!" she yelled back. She sighed. '_All right, Gwen, you can do this. Just for today, at least _try _to be civil with her. Just for today.'_

With a determined nod, she turned off the shower.

**BEN 10: Light Isn't Always Good**

**Chapter 2: Just for Today**

Gwen was sitting at the table, typing away on her laptop, when Ben sat in front of her with a glass of milk. She glanced up at him, but quickly diverted her gaze right to the scenery outside when he looked back.

Ben frowned. "What's up?"

"Nothing." Gwen shrugged as she returned her view to her laptop. She hoped she wasn't blushing, or at least that her trustworthy laptop would hide much of it for her. "Where's Hikari?"

"Taking a shower." Ben replied. "Why do you ask?" he suddenly sounded suspicious.

"No reason." Gwen shrugged. "Just...wondering."

Ben frowned.

Gwen sighed as she raised her eyes to him. "Alright, I promise I'll behave around her." she forced a smirk. "And," her smirk turned to a genuine smile, "I'm...sorry about yesterday."

Ben was slightly taken aback. "Uh, okay, sure. No problem."

Gwen nodded as she returned to her laptop.

"You know," Ben smirked, "if I didn't know you any better, I could've sworn you were jea..."

"We're here!"

Gwen had never been so happy to hear her grandfather cut her cousin's words. She closed her laptop and rushed outside. She needed air.

Max raised an eyebrow as he saw Gwen burst out of the RV from his side rearview mirror. He brushed it off as he rose to stand. Walking towards the door, he turned to Ben, "Tell Hikari to meet us inside. We'll be waiting for you."

"Okay, Grandpa." Ben nodded. He then finished his milk. As Max went out, Ben rose and went to the sink. He was about to just leave his glass there, but upon hearing the bathroom door open, he proceeded to wash it as well.

"Hey, we've stopped."

"Yeah, we just arrived..." Ben turned to her and choked.

Hikari was almost shining, despite her black attire, as she finished drying her long black hair. Putting her towel into the clothes hamper, she smiled at him, "Washing the dishes?"

"What...? Oh, yeah." Ben remembered the very reason he was holding a wet glass. "I always do the dishes around here."

Hikari chuckled.

Ben stared at her. Her chuckling made her hair sway in a manner that was almost hypnotic to him. She was so beautiful.

"...en? Ben? Are you there?"

"Huh, what?" Ben blinked. He woke up from his daydream finding Hikari looking at her with a raised eyebrow and a slanted smile. Caught staring, Ben blushed. "S-Sorry." he said as he quickly dried his glass and put it away.

"Ben, I wanted to thank you for keeping the Omnitrix safe from harm." Hikari said as she watched him dry his hands.

"Sure, no problem." Ben smiled. He raised his left arm, "I mean, with it attached to me, it's as easy as keeping myself alive."

Hikari chuckled. And again, Ben was mesmerized.

"Words aren't really sufficient." Hikari said as she finished her chuckle, "Let me show you what Lumenigrans do to express thanks." she said as she walked closer.

* * *

'_Remember, just for today._' Gwen took a deep breath and released it in a long sigh.

"Are you alright, Gwen?"

Smiling, Gwen turned to her grandfather. "Sure, why do you ask?"

Max frowned. "It's just that...ever since Hikari arrived, you seemed to be a little...off."

Gwen looked away, "I don't know what you mean."

Max raised an eyebrow. He brushed his chin, frowning, then smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're looking out for your cousin."

Gwen was glad she was looking away, because she was sure she was blushing.

"Shall we go in, then?"

Gwen turned to the building in front of the RV. If it could be called a building at all.

It was small wooden shack in the middle of nowhere. Only now Gwen realized that they were in the middle of a desert. It was only about 8 a.m., but the sun was already starting to sting. Gwen quickly followed her grandfather into the shack.

"What is this place, Grandpa?" Gwen asked as she walked in.

The inside of the single-room shack was no more interesting than the exterior, except for a metallic podium-like object at the center of the room. Max was standing behind it, operating it with a small frown.

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Another Plumber base, I presume?"

Max just smiled at her, but it was definitely a confirmation, before returning his attention to the podium.

Gwen smiled back. It wasn't long for her to accept that her grandfather was, or at least had been, a member of an elite group of alien-battling combatants. She was so proud of him.

"What's taking them so long?" Max wondered as he finished pressing buttons. "Gwen, can you...?"

"On it."

Gwen walked out of the shack and quickly darted to the RV to evade the sun. She walked past the window and stopped. Wide-eyed, she peered inside.

Hikari and Ben were kissing!

* * *

Quickly turning and moving away from the window, she gritted her teeth. '_So much for 'Just for today'._' she thought. She was just about to storm into the RV when she heard a scuffle from inside. Against her initial intentions, she decided to eavesdrop.

"Wha...What are you doing?" Ben asked, blushing madly as he backed onto the kitchen table.

"I...I'm sorry." Hikari closed her eyes, touching her lips. "I didn't mean to cause you...discomfort."

Ben clutched his shirt, trying to calm his heart. His was trying to comprehend the fact that his first kiss was with an alien girl. "W-Well, you did," he gulped.

"I'm sorry. It's just that..." Hikari opened her eyes, staring into Ben's. "...on my world, kissing is a form of thanks. And I wanted to thank you for keeping the Omnitrix safe."

"W-Well, you could just say it." Ben gulped again. He let go of his shirt as his heartbeat slowly returned to normal.

Hikari smiled. "It wouldn't be right for me."

"Well, kissing someone you've just met isn't quite right for me, either." Ben countered. "Not that I've..." he quickly stopped himself.

Hikari blinked at the self-cut sentence, "Oh, was that your first kiss?"

Ben blushed, looking away.

Hikari chuckled, but then drooped slightly, "W-were you planning to give it to someone else?"

Ben's continued silence was an answer, both for Hikari and their eavesdropper. "I...I'm sorry..." Hikari said again, this time looking down.

Gwen had heard enough. With a determined smile, she opened the door, surprising the occupants. "Hey, what are you doing?" she asked casually, silently laughing at Ben's face. "Hurry up, Grandpa's waiting."

* * *

Max raised both eyebrows at the different expressions of the three children entering the hut. Gwen's gleeful smile, Ben's hardened, yet blushing face, and Hikari's forced, sad smile. '_Kids grow too fast these days..._' Max sighed. He returned to the podium momentarily to press a button.

A small rumbling can be heard from outside the shack. "What's that?" Gwen asked.

"Oh, just the antennas rising." Max replied solemnly. "This place hasn't been used in a while, it seems. My old access code still works. Sloppy, sloppy." Max grinned. He then looked up to the alien girl, "Hikari, can you come here and pinpoint the coordinates, please?"

"Uh, sure." Hikari replied, walking past Ben without even taking a glance at him.

Ben himself was looking at the other direction, while Gwen, standing behind them, continued to smile gleefully.

Max stepped aside to give space to Hikari. She looked at the device, then started to press some buttons.

Just then, a loud crash came from outside, surprising everyone in the shack. "_Now_ what's that?!" Gwen exclaimed.

"That was definitely not an antenna." Max frowned. He quickly jumped off the podium and dashed to the door. However, before he got a chance to reach it, it exploded inside, leaving in its place a big hole, and a big black blob.

"Grandpa!" Gwen exclaimed. She ran towards him.

Max fell on the ground with a thud. He looked up as the blob changed form to resemble a rough, blobby human figure. "Kids, gather round and be careful!" Max commanded as he rose to stand with Gwen's help.

Ben was almost thankful to have something to divert his mind to. He turned to his left hand, pressed the Omnitrix button and started to pick an alien.

"I'm not here to fight you," A voice came from the blob as he raise a limb and shot a blob at Ben.

"Aah!" Ben exclaimed in surprise as the blob connected with his left arm, covering his Omnitrix in sticky mucus.

"I'm here to get her," The blobby figure started to move towards Hikari.

Max had a second to grab Gwen into his hug and lunge aside to evade the figure's enormous foot. He left Gwen at one side of the shack. "Stay here, Gwen."

"W-What...? But..." Gwen protested.

As the figure approached Hikari, she looked up with a mixed expression of fear, resentment, and a little fear. "I won't come with you," she said, sounding more like a child in front of an authority figure than a warrior facing an adversary.

"And I won't let you have her!" Ben exclaimed as he ran. He slammed himself onto the figure's back, but instead of knocking him over, he was the one knocked back, bouncing off the blob.

"Ben!" Max quickly went to his grandson, followed by Gwen, her expression concerned. "Are you alright?" Max asked.

"Y-Yeah…" Ben gritted his teeth. He turned to see his cousin looking over her, worried.

"Anything hurt?" Gwen asked.

'_Only my pride..._' Ben replied to himself. He looked to the blob on his left arm blocking his access to his trusty watch. "Darn..."

"You're only delaying the inevitable." The figure spoke with an authoritave tone as he reached for her.

Hikari jumped back, evading the blobby limb. "I told you I won't surrender!"

The figure retrieved his limb, then turned around and scanned the three Tennysons. "Very well, one by one it is." He raised a hand and moved as if to throw something onto his feet.

"No! Wait!" Hikari only had a chance to say the two words before the room was suddenly filled with blinding light.

Instinctively, Ben and Max raised both hands to protect their eyes. Ben heard a muffled scream and felt wind blew past him. Then, as the light dissipated, he looked around and confirmed his fears.

"That thing took Gwen!"

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's notes: I just only realized that most scenes in most of my planned chapters are in Gwen's POV, or at least in the presence of Gwen. Even the chapter titles so far are Gwen's words. I guess that pretty much confirms my favorite character in the series, 'eh? I came to the series to watch a watch (heh...) but I guess I stayed for Gwen. I'm such a perv...I mean, she's less than half my age and every night I still...  
Uh, hum, anyway, this episode highlights, hints, and, at times, makes it blindingly obvious the feelings of three of the four people in the complicated love square (I warned you the pairings are complicated, didn't I?) Next episode will feature mostly Gwen and her time with her captor. Also, a new perspective of the 'war' in Lumenigra, Hikari's world, given by Gwen's captor will shatter what you _think_ you know about Hikari, as well as a revelation (to those who knew that Hikari is Japanese for 'light') on why I chose the title for this fan fiction.

PS: To those who felt the need to fill the blanks at the end of the first paragraph of the above Author's notes, well, guess who's the pervert now? I'm only kidding, of course.

PPS: (I love making PSs...heheh) A few days after posting the first chapter, I came to a realization that my planned chapters, as well as the overall concept of the story, is not quite K+ material. Thus, I changed the rating to T. I hope it won't confuse anyone.


	3. Admission to Self

Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or any of its characters. However, I do own all those who is not a cast of Ben 10, so don't touch them. If you want to use them, my contact info is on my profile. Contact me and we'll see.

* * *

Gwen moaned as she came to. "W-Where am I...?" she asked as she sleepily scanned the room she was in. 

It was a bright room, only about 10x10 feet in size, but with sparse furniture it looked spacious. What caught Gwen off guard was how everything was white. She felt like she was either in heaven or an operation room of some sorts.

A whizz signaled a door opening, revealing a person behind it. Because of the blinding light, Gwen couldn't really see clearly. She squinted her eyes, "W-Who's there?"

"I'm sorry I have to kidnap you like this," a soft voice replied. It was almost feminine, but still clearly male. "I usually don't condone this type of action, but this time..."

"I don't care what you usually do or don't do." Gwen retorted as she assumed a sitting position. She blinked several times to try to adjust her eyes to the light. "Who are you? Why did you take me here?" She looked around, "Where is this, anyway?"

"All in due time," her captor replied, "although I can answer your last question now. We are in my ship."

"Ship?" Gwen turned to her captor. She could make out a black outline of a figure not much taller than herself. She could also make out long flowing hair. She frowned. "Hikari?"

A small chuckle escaped the figure. He walked closer. "At least she didn't lie about her name this time."

"No..." Gwen frowned. Her captor's black figure eased her transition to the blindingly white room. She could make out his hair. It was white. "You're not Hikari."

"True." He sat next to her. "My name is Hikaru. I'm Hikari's twin brother."

**BEN 10: Light Isn't Always Good**

**Chapter 3: Admission to Self **

Gwen wasn't finished being surprised when she felt a palm in front of her eyes. A moment later, it retreated, leaving her able to see clearer through the light. "H-How did you do that?"

"It's easy to lift a spell you put yourself." Hikaru smiled.

Gwen turned to him. She gasped. Hikaru was a splitting image of Hikari, except for his white hair and dark green eyes. His pale skin and dark attire were exactly the same as Hikari's. What caught Gwen's eyes, though, was that he was handsome, just as Hikari was beautiful. Inadvertently, Gwen blushed.

Hikaru smiled. "Tell me, has my sister managed to get her hands on the Omnitrix?"

That one last word brought Gwen back into reality. She frowned as she slowly moved away from him. "Who are you people? Why do you want it?"

"The Omnitrix?" Hikaru raised an eyebrow, "I don't want it. Hikari wants it, and I'm here to stop her."

Gwen frowned.

Hikaru smiled. "Alright, I'll tell you everything. But first, can you tell me what she told you about her story so far?"

Gwen started to doubt everything she knew about Hikari. "W-Well, first of all, she said she came from a world called Lumenigra." She stopped to see Hikaru's reaction.

Understanding her, Hikaru nodded, "That one's true. Go on."

Feeling more confident, Gwen continued, "She then said about aliens infiltrating her world by ways of imitating your kind and destroying governments from the inside. Then, after some great wars, having diminished your numbers, the aliens show themselves. Now she needed the Omnitrix to win in a planet-wide battle against them."

Hikaru shook his head, sighing, "That is the most preposterous one so far,"

Gwen frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Hikaru took a deep breath and stood up as he exhaled. "That sister of mine is a pathological liar. There's no war, there're no aliens. She just wanted the Omnitrix for herself."

"What?!" Gwen exclaimed. But then she frowned, "Wait, how can I trust you?" she asked suspiciously, "For all I know, you could be lying as well."

Hikaru turned to her, smiling. "I promised to tell you my story, so here it is."

Lumenigra is a planet of opposites. Like its namesake, everything has a Light side and a Dark side. Everyone in Lumenigra is born with a twin. There are no single births, nor multiple births of more than two babies. The newborns are always born half a day apart, the one born at daylight is Light-aligned, while the other is Dark-aligned. They will also possess opposite skill alignments, one will be magical while the other will be technological.

"I am Hikaru, Hikari's older brother. My alignment is Dark Magic."

Gwen required a full ten seconds to comprehend the two sentences as well as the new information about the 'true' nature of Lumenigra. "So you're saying that Hikari's alignment is...Light...Technology?"

"Indeed," Hikaru nodded.

Gwen scratched her head, "If there's no war, why would she want the Omnitrix?"

"The Omnitrix is legendary in our world. It's the epitome of technological wonder. Hikari wants to study it before it is destroyed in a power struggle to control it." Hikaru replied, "It was en route to our planet when it was attacked."

Gwen blinked. "She said the same thing, about the transport actually going to you."

Hikaru smiled. "Well, well, well, two truths. She's on track to break her record." he commented.

Gwen frowned as she tried to absorb all the new knowledge. "So...that big shadow...and that blob thingy...that was you?"

"Yes," Hikaru nodded, "Even with the N-Field Generator destroyed, I still need to use my powers to subdue her. She's very strong in her own right."

"That's three." Gwen observed.

"Hm?"

"N-Field Generator. The device on her chest, right?" Gwen asked. "She said that name as well."

Hikaru laughed, making his hair sway, much like his sister.

And much like her cousin, Gwen was entranced. She quickly averted her gaze from him. _'Well, I guess now I know why Ben seems so taken by his sister..._' She then risked a blush by turning to him again, "Why did you capture me?"

Hikaru took a seat next to Gwen. "I needed leverage. I figure if I take away her allies on this planet, she'll surrender. Or the families of said allies will force her to surrender, but I'm pretty sure she'll break first."

'_I told you I won't surrender!_' Gwen remembered Hikari's words from before.

"I'm sorry if I cause you any discomfort," Hikaru said, raising a hand to brush Gwen's chin, drawing a deep blush, "but I need you to stay here until I can capture her."

"I-It's alright...I guess..." Gwen gulped. '_Are all Lumenigrans this charming? Geez, no wonder Ben's smitten._'

Hikaru suddenly stopped, then closed his eyes and retrieved his hand as he smiled. "I'm sorry," he said. He stood up and went to the door. "I'll leave you to rest now," he said, "This room will obey your commands. Except for the door, of course."

Gwen just stared at him as he walked outside. The door closed behind him with another whizz and disappeared, leaving a smooth wall.

* * *

Gwen stretched on the bed in the small white room. Putting both hands behind her head as a pillow, she began to retrace her thoughts of the day. '_Today started normal enough,_' she thought, '_Never in a million years I'd think that I'd be captured by an alien in a sibling scuffle._' 

Her thought landed on Hikaru and again, inadvertently she blushed. She shook her head slightly. '_What am I thinking? Sure, he's cute, but he's not Ben._' Gwen immediately sat up, wide-eyed, '_Did I just think that? Why would I compare Hikaru with Ben? And why in that context?_'

Gwen held her cheeks, noting how warm they felt. She had just confirmed her thoughts. 'Every time_ I think of Hikaru in..._that_ way, I always immediately think of Ben. Like when Hikaru laughed, or when he touched my chin, I always think of..._'

She sighed, closing her eyes, '_Admit it, Gwen, you like him._'

* * *

Max and Ben sat dumbfounded in the RV, in front of them a remorseful Hikari. "I'm sorry," she said for the umpteenth time that day. 

"So," Max started, "how much of the stuff you've told us is _not_ a lie?"

Hikari looked down, "Not much," she replied softly, almost inaudible.

"So there aren't any alien invaders?" Ben asked. Receiving a negative head shake, he continued, "No wars?" Again, a negative head shake. "And you're being chased by powerful evil mastermind and you need the Omnitrix so you can win against him?"

The last question received a nod.

"And now that criminal has Gwen hostage!?" Ben exclaimed, raising from his seat.

"I'm sorry," Hikari said again, "If I told you the story from the beginning, I'm afraid you'd decide not to interfere. I need the Omnitrix."

Ben fell back into his seat with an annoyed sigh.

"Why did you need to send a message?" Max asked. "And is it really to your home world?"

Hikari turned to the elder man, "I was trying to request help. No one knows I'm in this part of the universe. I...kinda left without saying anything."

"Well, the antenna's busted." Max shook his head. "There's no way we can send out a message that far now."

Hikari sighed.

"Why would this criminal be after you?" Max asked. "No offense, but you don't look like someone who has something of value."

"Neither is Ben, if you don't know about the Omnitrix." Hikari replied. She raised a hand and touched the device on her chest. "I told you about the power and properties of the N-Field Generator," she started, "and you may not believe it, but I...was the one who created it."

That took both the Tennysons by surprise. "W-What?" Ben fumbled. "H-How?"

"On my world," Hikari started, "everyone is either Magical or Technologically aligned. It means that everyone is either very good with machines or very good with spells. I'm, well," she blushed slightly, "rather adept with machines."

"So this criminal," Max hummed, "is either after you or the Generator or both."

"Why would he kidnap Gwen?" Ben asked.

"He's probably going to ransom her for my surrender." Hikari sighed. "This is all my fault." She lowered her head, making her jet black hair fall to cover her face.

Ben gritted his teeth. He raised to stand, "I need some air," he said, before proceeding to exit the RV.

* * *

Ben sat on a big rock near the wrecked shack. He looked at his left arm. The black blob had started to shrivel as soon as the owner disappeared, and after a while Ben easily peeled it off, revealing his Omnitrix, unharmed. He pressed the button to raise the face, and it immediately responded to his command. 

But, instead of 'going hero' as he usually does, he just absent-mindedly turned the face clockwise and counterclockwise. '_If that criminal were to show up with Gwen and demanded me to hand Hikari over in exchange for Gwen's safe return,_' Ben started to think, '_would I do it?_' He surprised himself at how fast he came to a positive conclusion.

'_I had said that I won't let him have her,_' Ben mused, '_but now Gwen's not here..._' He suddenly blinked. '_Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, when did I become so worried about her well-being?_' Ben shook his head in disbelief, '_She's my cousin. Of course I care for her._'

Ben then frowned as he pressed another button, making the Omnitrix face return without changing him into an alien. '_Is it possible that I..._' Ben shook his head, '_No, she's my cousin, that's all. There's no way I..._' Ben gulped, '_...is there?_'

Ben's mind then flew to the moment his lips and Hikari met. '_My first kiss...was with an alien girl._' Ben sighed, '_Not that I mind, she is rather cute and all..._' Ben blushed slightly. '_Wait, I do mind,_' he then frowned, '_I was keeping it for..._' He quickly stopped himself as he develop a deep blush.

Sighing, he laid back onto the rock, '_Admit it, Ben, you like her._'

* * *

Gwen woke up with a start as she heard a knock. For a second, she didn't realize where she was, but her memory returned quickly. "Uh, come in," she said as she resumed a sitting position. 

Hikaru walked in with a smile. "How's your rest?" he asked.

Gwen smiled back. "It's great," she replied, "It's been a while since I can sleep without having to worry about Ben disturbing me."

Hikaru's smile faltered slightly at the mention of the name. He brushed his chin, "Say, I have an idea on how to capture my sister, but I'll need your help, and your trust."

"Trust?"

Hikaru took a seat on her bed. Turning to her, he started to explain, "There's this line of magic, it's useless if the subject isn't willing, but it's very powerful when done correctly."

"And you're going to cast it on me?" Gwen raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, but," Hikaru quickly added the conjunction, "only until she surrenders."

Gwen looked worried, "What will the spell do?"

"It's simple hypnosis," Hikaru replied, "but it's done at the core of the heart, which is why I'll need your cooperation."

"Alright," Gwen frowned, "but what will it do, exactly?"

Hikaru kept his smile, but silenced for a moment, "It will make you the most effective weapon against Hikari."

Gwen's frown deepened. Hikaru was avoiding giving a direct answer. She still had doubts in her mind. For all she knew, Hikaru could be one of the impersonating aliens Hikari had been talking about. He looked exactly like her, only with different hair and eye color. However, Gwen knew she had an innate ability in magic from her encounters with Hex and Charmcaster, so she figured she wouldn't be in too much harm. She straightened herself and nodded, "Alright, let's do it."

"Excellent!" Hikaru beamed. "Alright, just sit there and don't blink." he said as he positioned his hand in front of her eyes.

Gwen blinked several times to prepare, then nodded, "Okay," she said as she stared onto Hikaru's palm.

As Hikaru began to chant a spell, Gwen could see a point of light on the middle of his palm. A moment later, it enveloped her eyes. Gwen initially fought the urge to blink, but after a while it started to feel less and less uncomfortable.

"Tell me," Hikaru said slowly, "what is your name?"

"My name," Gwen replied, almost robotically, "is Gwendolyn Tennyson. My friends call me Gwen."

"Tell me, do you have someone you like?"

"Yes,"

"Tell me, who do you like?"

Gwen didn't reply immediately, but she did so anyway with a slightly strained voice, "I like my cousin Ben."

Hikaru smiled. He chanted a little more, then continued, "I am neither your cousin or Ben, but you like me."

Gwen didn't reply. Instead, she began to tremble slightly.

"You like me, don't you?"

Gwen gritted her teeth. "N-No...I...like...Ben..." she strained her voice.

Hikaru hummed. "Well, it's hard to compete with your cousin, I mean, he _is_ your _cousin_."

Gwen stiffened. "I...can't..." Her voice became more strained with each word, "He's...my cousin..."

"Now, tell me," Hikaru's smile widened. "Who do you like?"

"I..." Gwen gulped, "...like...Hikaru..." Her voice was really strained now. She almost choked on every word.

"One more time, who do you like?"

"I...like Hikaru."

Hikaru removed his palm from Gwen's eyes. He stood up and went to kiss her forehead, "Rest now, you will need your strength for tomorrow." He stood up and walked out of the room.

Gwen's stare was blank. She stiffly moved to lie on her bed. It took her a while before she could close her eyes, but when she did, a tear managed to escape.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED... 

Author's notes: I wanna be Hikaru and entrance Gwen! Who's with me? Uh, hum, right. This episode highlights one side of the love square I'm setting up for this fic, HikaruxGwen. Has he fallen for her? Well, maybe not if he had to resort to using a spell. Why would he hypnotize her, then? I actually didn't intend for Hikaru to be this sinister, but, hey, it's an ever changing piece of fic. He really means well, but his Dark alignment sometimes turn him to a questionable path. I'll explain his actions in later chapters. Also, this chapter reaffirms my originally intended pairing, BenxGwen, not only because of reviewer demand (wink, wink), but also because I like them together, too. Although, I won't mind if Gwen ends up with me, but...  
Anyway, you may now notice that one side of the square, OC1 and OC2, are Hikaru and Hikari. This pairing will come in handy for the next chapter or two. Now don't start yammering me with 'But they're siblings!' stuff yet. You'll need to understand their culture, I'll explain in the next episode or two...maybe. Be patient :p  
It may take a whole new solar system with a whole new set of natural and community laws, but at least somewhere out there (or in here points to own head), consanguineous relationships are not only allowed but are in fact the norm (not that I practise it, mind you.)

PS: Definitely T-rated now. You need to be one to comprehend the concept of heart-bending spells, and to understand that there is no such thing :)

PPS: Phew, longer episode this time to offset the shorter Chapter 2. I'll try to make it somewhat consistent from now on. Did I mention I like making PSs?


	4. Jealousy

Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or any of its characters. However, I do own all those who is not a cast of Ben 10, so don't touch them. If you want to use them, my contact info is on my profile. Contact me and we'll see.

* * *

Gwen could hear the whizz of her door opening, but couldn't open her eyes. She couldn't move a muscle. Even with her eyes closed, she couldn't sleep. 

"Good morning,"

Gwen heard Hikaru's voice. She hated that voice. She wanted to stand up and strangle the owner of the voice. But she couldn't even wiggle her eyelids without command.

"Wake up, Gwen, today is the day we confront that little sister of mine." Hikaru said. He took a seat as Gwen opened her eyes. He smiled sadly as he looked at her. "I'm sorry I have to resort to this method, but I need believability. You will serve the purpose of forcing my sister to surrender. Nothing else, I can promise you that."

Gwen's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't even considered what else Hikaru could do to her in her current condition. Her mind eased slightly with his promise, but that doesn't mean she could forgive him so easily. '_What are you planning?_' she thought.

Hikaru looked into her eyes. He had a look of mild surprise and amusement. He smiled, "You'll see."

Slightly taken aback, Gwen realized that he could read her mind. '_No! I want to know now!_'

Hikaru sighed as he straightened up. Instead of replying, "Tell me," he began, "is the evolution on your world favors a diverse or closed gene pool?"

Gwen had little idea what he meant. Trying to extract meaning from his words, she concluded the later. She once heard that random mutations can accumulate if members of family were to procreate.

"Well, not on my world," Hikaru hummed, "Not my sun, not my planet, nothing gives out enough radiation to induce random mutations. Lumenigrans evolved by pure chance. We evolved into two distinct, yet combined line of powers. We evolved to favor a closed gene pool."

Gwen had a hard time understanding where Hikaru was going with what he was saying.

Hikaru stood up. "Marriages across family lines can destroy our genes, resulting in a single, deformed, or even powerless births, each has the effect of upsetting the delicate balance between the powers. Therefore we keep marriages inside close families." Hikaru turned to her, "Hikari and I are engaged to marry."

**BEN 10: Light Isn't Always Good**

**Chapter 4: Jealousy**

Ben walked out of the sleeping area of the RV to see Hikari slumping on the kitchen table, her back on him. Apparently she hadn't moved since he left there the night before. He walked over to her. "Good morning,"

Hikari looked up in surprise. "B-Ben, I didn't hear you come out," she said, wiping her eyes.

Ben frowne. "Have you been crying? All night?"

Hikari gave a nervous laugh, "W-What do you mean? Of course not." She looked away.

Ben's frown remained. He sat next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I don't blame you," he started. "He was a criminal, and it was my negligence that ended in Gwen's capture. As you said, he'll come out sooner or later. And when he does, I'll take care of him," he smiled, raising his left hand.

Hikari didn't move. She kept looking outside to the brightening sky.

"Hey, you wanna have some toast? I can make some for both of us," Ben said, standing up. He then hummed, "You _can_ eat toast, right?" he asked, remembering his chocolate incident with Ultimos of the Galactic Enforcers.

"Yes, thank you," Hikari replied flatly, keeping her face away from view.

"Have you seen Grandpa?" Ben asked as he went to fetch some bread.

"He went out to get something from the store,"

Ben only then realized that they have arrived at a small town. "Driving all night? He must be exhausted. Why would he go out like that?"

"I think he just doesn't want to lay eyes on me at the moment,"

Ben turned to the alien girl in a flash, "Don't talk like that!" he exclaimed, surprising her. "None of this is your fault!"

Hikari wiped her face before turning to face him. "All of this is my fault!" she exclaimed back, "You have no idea what I...what I've done...I..." Hikari slumped, "I lied...and now everything's messed up. Dammit, he's using my alignment against me. He always do that," Hikari returned to look outside the window.

Ben frowned. "Your alignment? What do you mean?"

However, Hikari didn't reply. She kept looking out the window, avoiding Ben's questioning eyes.

A pop signaled that the toast was ready. Ben took one and bit a piece. Putting the other one on a plate, he turned to Hikari, "Butter?" he offered.

Receiving no answer, he fumed. "Fine, sulk all you want. I'll be outside."

* * *

Ben closed the door of the RV with a little more force than he had to. Putting his hands in his pocket, he started to walk along the road. 

The small town had already woken up with the sun. It's a small town with a large farm nearby. Deciding that a walk by a field would be good for his mood, Ben swung his feet towards it.

'_What's with Hikari? Ever since Gwen was kidnapped, she's been more depressed than I am._' Ben frowned, '_Something isn't right. I can just feel it. If that guy who took Gwen was a criminal mastermind, why would he resort to kidnapping? He could just start destroying stuff and waited until Hikari ran out of hiding places. A kidnapping is almost too...personal._'

Ben stopped walking. He turned to the direction where he came from. He thought he heard something. Growing worried, he reached for his trusty watch, but then stopped, '_No, I have to see what I'm dealing first. I can't rush into hero mode._' He began to run back with all his might.

* * *

"No! Stop it!" Hikari exclaimed. She was standing near the RV, tears flowing freely from her eyes. 

In front of her, a big black blobby figure stood. A sneering Gwen was sitting on his shoulder. "Come with me, Hikari."

"I can't believe you're doing this to me!" Hikari screamed. "And her! What is she doing there?!" She pointed at Gwen.

"I can be anywhere I like, thank you." Gwen quipped, showing her tongue, then went to hug the blob head.

Hikari gasped, "B-But...we...we're..."

"Hikari!"

The blob turned to the voice, seeing Ben slamming his Omnitrix. "Oh, the party has started."

After the green light diminished, Ben as Diamondhead immediately charged at the blob. However, he stopped in his tracks a few feet from it after seeing who was sitting on his shoulder. "G-Gwen?!"

Gwen smiled at the green crystal warrior. "Hello, Ben."

"What are you doing there? Get away!"

"Uh-uh," Gwen shook her head. She then leaned aside onto the blob's head. "I'm staying right here."

Ben's eyes widened. '_W-What is she doing...?_' "G-Gwen!"

"Dear Gwen, what has your cousin turn into? And does he have any weakness in that form?"

Gwen closed her eyes. She was gritting her teeth, but she couldn't resist replying, "He called him Diamondhead. He's very tough, made of crystal."

"Living crystal, are you? Of course, a petrosapien." The blob raised a limb. It folded inside to change into a trumpet form. It then fired a large blue orb at Ben.

"No! Ben! Evade it!"

Ben didn't have the time to process Hikari's warning. His instincts already forced him to swerve aside. However, the orb managed to connect with his right arm. "Aaaargh!" Ben exclaimed as his whole arm exploded into tiny crystal bits. He fell onto his knees.

"Ben!" Hikari ran towards him. Supporting him with all her weight, she turned to the blob. "Stop this! Stop this at once!"

"I will when you surrender."

Ben gritted his teeth. In one quick move he grabbed Hikari, turned around, and started to run away.

The blob raised his limb and aimed at the fleeing Ben.

'_No! You'll kill him!_'

The blob stopped. "You're right. We'll just have to wait. She'll come back to me, now that she's seen you."

Gwen's smile looked forced, and it was. '_You hypnotized me just to make her jealous?_'

The blob flashed and shrunk into Hikaru's form, with Gwen standing next to him. "She _is_ Light-aligned, after all."

"What is going on in here?"

Hikaru and Gwen turned to see Max, holding a bag of groceries. Hikaru grinned.

* * *

Ben gulped. Hikari was hugging his right arm, crying with all her might. "I-I'm alright, Hikari. Damages to my alien forms don't hurt my own. See?" 

Hikari burrowed her face onto his shoulder. "I-I'm sorry..." she managed to say between sobs. "It's all my fault."

"Why do you keep saying that?" Ben asked. He put his free hand on her head, patting her softly. "None of this is your fault."

"You don't understand! I..." Hikari stopped. She closed her eyes, savoring his pats. "I..." Calming down, she sighed.

"There, there," Ben felt slightly relieved, being able to calm the alien girl.

Hikari hugged his arm tighter, using her sleeve to wipe her eyes. Still slightly sobbing, she looked up to him. "Ben, do you like me?"

Ben could feel his heart skip a beat. "W-What? W-Why would you ask me that?"

"Please," Hikari begged, "I need to know."

Ben gulped. He looked at the tearful girl next to him. His hand fall to her shoulder. Slightly trembling, he pulled her into a hug. "Of course I like you," he replied.

Hikari sighed into his hug.

Ben closed his eyes, feeling her warmth. He then remembered Gwen's strange behavior. She looked as if she...liked the blob thing. '_I can't believe she could choose to like a criminal like that. Maybe he lied to her, like Hikari did at first. But I never saw her believe someone so fast._' Ben gritted his teeth. '_He must've done something to her. I'll get you for that, believe me. No one can take away _my _Gwen._' Ben gulped as he blushed as he realized what he was thinking.

* * *

Gwen stared blankly at her grandfather, frozen in his tracks looking surprised. She then turned to Hikari and walked towards him. "_You didn't have to do that, Grandpa would've come with us on his own will._" 

"I needed leverage." Hikaru replied solemnly as he waved his hand. An image of the small town appeared in front of him. Waving his hands, he manipulated the image to turn and zoom onto various people and places.

'_Don't give me that excuse again!_' Gwen's face remained neutral, but her mind was raging. '_You just liked doing it, don't you? Your sister might be mischievous, but you're evil!_'

Hikaru spun towards the plain-faced girl with narrowed eyes. He was about to say something, but instead he closed his eyes. He took a big breath and returned to the image. "I might as well be. I _am_ Dark-aligned, after all. I can't help it if my actions seem...evil. But, as an older sibling, I have an obligation to be the responsible one."

An expression slipped onto Gwen's face. Her eyebrow lifted. '_You Lumenigrans are crazy._'

Hikaru didn't respond. Instead, he moved the image to focus on two children. "Found them." he announced. He zoomed in and smiled. Hikari was crying while Ben was patting her head.

Gwen stared at the interchange. The image was silent, but she could see Ben's lips moving. She couldn't even force herself to gulp. '_D-Did he just say that he likes her?_'

Hikaru hummed, "Apparently," He glanced at Gwen's direction. He smiled as he saw Gwen staring at the image with eyes of disbelief.

Gwen didn't mean for Hikaru to hear her, bus she was too shocked to care. Her surprise then turned to another feeling. A sick feeling in her stomach. And it intensified as she saw Ben blushing.

* * *

Ben pulled himself off of Hikari. "Come on, we have to go. Grandpa might be back. We have to warn him." 

"Can't we stay like this for a little more?" Hikari looked into his eyes.

Ben blushed as he stared back. "W-Well, later, sure. But for now...We...I...need to warn him."

Hikari sighed. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you for supporting me,"

Ben gulped, "S-Sure,"

They started to walk to the direction of the RV. "Do you think he's gone yet?" Ben asked.

"Your grandpa?"

"No, that criminal guy,"

"Positive," Hikari nodded. "If not, he'd be after us right now."

Ben hummed. He was about to raise his left arm to look at his alien watch, but couldn't. Without realizing, he had been walking hand in hand with Hikari. He gulped as he glanced at her.

Hikari was walking contently next to him, smiling slightly. Seemingly psychic, she turned to him, "What?"

"N-Nothing," Ben quickly returned his eyes to the road in front of him. However, his blush betrayed him.

Hikari giggled at his reaction.

Ben didn't have time to admire her giggle. They have arrived at where the RV was parked. Ben's eyes widened at the neglected bags of groceries next to the door. "Don't tell me, they've got Grandpa, too?"

Ben let go of Hikari's hand and ran towards the bags. He picked a note pinned to one of them. He frowned. "What the...?"

Hikari peered from his side. "It's written in my language," She gasped, "He...Hi didn't...!"

Ben turned to her. "What does it say? Tell me!"

Hikari trembled as she took the piece of paper. Reading it over and over, she gulped, "As I feared, he has captured your grandfather. He wants...me, in exchange for their safe return. He even wrote where and when to meet him.," she said, faltering slightly.

Ben gritted his teeth. His fears were happening. His family was in danger because of the alien girl in front of him. But, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't blame her. He noticed the device on her chest. "We can still fight him. I have this and you have that," Ben said, pointing at her N-Field Generator, "We can still win."

"It's broken, remember?" Hikari sighed.

Ben hummed. A moment later, he smiled, raising his Omnitrix, "There's nothing a little Grey Matter can't fix."

* * *

"So," Hikaru smiled, "they're going to fight. Alright, I won't disappoint them." 

'_Hikaru, don't do this._' Gwen plain-facedly begged, '_Can't you see you're making your sister suffer?_'

Hikaru turned to her, "_I'm_ making _her _suffer? She was the one who ran from home to study a transmorph device, leaving me behind. Me, her brother and betrothed!"

Gwen silenced for a while before finally, '_So...you're the one that's jealous?_'

Hikaru silently turned back to the image showing Ben and Hikari walking into the RV.

'_Is that why you made me like this? To get back at her? Geez, you're pathetic._'

Hikaru turned as he swooped over to her, standing face to face. "I have you in my control," he hissed menacingly, "you'd better watch what you're saying or I will make you do terrible things."

Gwen stared back to him. '_Like what?_' she challenged him.

Hikaru sneered. He backed away slightly and raised a hand.

Gwen could feel her body moving, but she couldn't control herself. She could feel the impulse of opening her mouth and words starting to form. "Ben, I hate you! I never want to see you again, ever!" she exclaimed.

Hikaru's sneer widened. "Do you want to hear more? I have learned several of your Earth profanities."

Gwen's eyes showed shock and horror. '_N-No...I-I'll do what you want._'

Hikaru smiled as he walked towards her. Patting her head, "That's my girl."

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED... 

Author's notes: (Scratches head) I just realized another thing. I can't write Max scenes! I always have him as an extra cast saying insignificant lines or conveniently away on a chore or even frozen in a full body-bind spell (borrowed from Harry Potter) Geez, I need to have him on...Maybe at the end of it all or something.  
Also, this story seems to have deviated quite far from my plans to make Hikari the 'bad gene in the family' (hence the title). Have I painted myself onto a corner? Nope, I still have a plan up my sleeve to turn this story around to my original plot. Besides, going through this plot is way cooler. Hikaru's done a much better job at being evil, don't you think? Hikari cries too much, methinks. Doesn't mean she can't dish out the same evil, though, heh heh heh, you'll see.  
Alright, small highlights on HikarixBen in this episode. It's apparent that Hikari actually really likes Ben, but is it reciprocal? Where did I catch that word? I mean, does Ben like her back? What about Gwen? He still likes her, right? And how about Hikaru? Does he like Hikari, his sister and betrothed, or does he like Gwen, who he put under a spell? Better yet, does he put Gwen under that spell to get back at Hikari or to see if Gwen can learn to like him? I warned you it's going to be complicated, didn't I? Confused yet? Yes? Good. No? Read the story again until you are :p

PS: If you find it strange or confusing that at one time I refer to Hikaru as Hikari's brother, and other time as 'that criminal', pay attention to who was talking. Ben and Gwen only knows what the Lumenigrans are saying to them. Who's to say nobody's lying? In fact, even I sometimes forget who's telling the truth!

PPS: If you haven't noticed by now, I deliberately refrained myself from using the word '_Love_' and opting instead of its lesser-powered word '_Like_'. In my opinion, they're far too young to comprehend '_Love_' to even mention it (Heck, even I'm still learning). So, a statement from me, there will be no 'I love you's anywhere in any chapter of this story. Let's see if I can make myself eat that statement :)


	5. Preparations

Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or any of its characters. However, I do own all those who is not a cast of Ben 10, so don't touch them. If you want to use them, my contact info is on my profile. Contact me and we'll see.

* * *

"Okay, let's do this," Ben as Grey Matter squeaked as he jumped onto the table. "Give me the Generator. Just put it here. Oh, and I can probably do it faster if you could explain the basics of...WHAT ARE YOU _DOING_?!" 

Hikari was in the middle of unfastening a zipper down her back, revealing smooth skin underneath. She looked down at the shocked Galvan. "The Generator is woven onto my suit. I have to take it off if you want to fix it."

"W-Well, go to the bathroom and change into something else, then!" Ben started to panic.

Hikari frowned, "Why? It'll be faster if I just do it here." Hikari continued to pull the zipper down.

Ben squeaked. He ran and hid behind a saltshaker. His eyes widened when he saw Hikari's shirt fell onto the table next to him.

"Ben? Why are you hiding?" Hikari loomed over to look behind the saltshaker.

"N-Nothing," Ben turned to the shirt and tried to keep his eyes there. "Um, how do you say this thing works?"

"Well," Hikari took a sit in front of him, inadvertently making him look up.

"Eep!" Ben raised both hands to cover his eyes.

Hikari looked down at him, then blinked. She then giggled, "Oh, Ben, you're such a pervert!" She took the little Galvan and forced his hands away, "I'm wearing an undershirt, silly."

Ben opened his eyes and looked at her. Indeed, Hikari had a loose white undershirt on. He sighed as he wiped his forehead. He then frowned as he looked up to the girl, "Hey, I'm not a pervert!"

Hikari giggled again, "What did you think I'd do, strip naked in front of you?"

Ben looked away, "Well..." He blushed.

"Who's a pervert, then?"

Ben hung his head. "L-Let's just take care of the Generator."

Hikari was still chuckling when she put the little Galvan on her shirt.

**BEN 10: Light Isn't Always Good**

**Chapter 5: Preparations**

Ben was about to lift the Generator's cap when he heard the all too familiar noise. "Uh-oh," he dropped the cap and ran to jump off the table. The Omnitrix symbol on Grey Matter's chest flashed red and he returned to his original human form. Turning to the table, he finished the job of putting the cap on the Generator.

"I hope this works," he mumbled, "that was my third time-out and I was rather lucky to have it turn me to Grey Matter every time."

"Why don't you just keep being him?" Hikari asked as she put a plate on the table.

Ben turned to her, then the plate. "Where did you get pizza?" he asked back.

"I found a box in your grandfather's groceries."

Ben took the slice of pizza on the plate, bit a big chunk and sighed. "A nud du cud,"

Hikari chuckled. "What?"

Ben swallowed his pizza and retried, "I need the code, you know, to change anytime, for as long as I like, between whichever form I like. I found it once, but I cleared it soon after," he sighed, "It'll be great if I can keep being alien, and change without having to return human. He won't be able to block it with blob anymore."

"The Master Code for the Omnitrix, so you've found it," Hikari hummed, "You enter it by rotating the face, right?"

Ben turned to her, looking like he had never seen her before, "Y-You know about it?"

* * *

Gwen was laying on her bed, silently crying. She couldn't move her body, she couldn't open her eyes, but she felt her tears making warm trails on her cheeks down to her ears. Her chest hurt everytime she remembered what Hikaru made her say. '_I couldn't control myself,_' she reasoned, '_but I can't deny that I've thought of those words. I may never say it, but I had thought of it. He _is_ my cousin. He irritates me sometimes._' 

But then her chest hurt even more when she remembered how Ben hugged Hikari, whispering that he liked her. '_Why am I feeling this feeling? Am I also...jealous?_' Again, an emotion slipped onto her face. She blushed. '_What am I thinking? Ben doesn't like me. He's absolutely smitten the first time he lay eyes on Hikari. And now he even said he likes her._'

Gwen's thoughts turned to the other sibling. She really couldn't figure Hikaru out. '_He's betrothed to his sister, so when she went here, he came after her. But why? Surely it's alright to let your sister go and study the Omnitrix._' She felt herself draw breath. '_Could it be another matter entirely? Could Hikaru be also lying like his sister? Why would he, though?_'

"Would you like to know the full truth?"

Gwen's heart jumped. She didn't hear Hikaru walking into her room, and with her body in his control, she couldn't see him. She also cursed his ability to read minds. Reluctantly, she replied, '_Yes,_'

Hikaru took a seat on Gwen's bed. "It's true that Hikari comes to Earth is search for the Omnitrix, and it's true that she wants to study it. However, she does it against the wishes of our family. She blatantly ignore our parents forbiddance and used her N-Field Generator to travel to Earth."

'_So she's a runaway._' Gwen mused. '_Why would your parents forbade her studying the Omnitrix?_'

"The Omnitrix is an instrument of warfare. Destruction always follows it," Hikaru sighed. "Our parents were aghast when they learnt that it's coming to our planet. They didn't want Hikari getting anywhere near it, so they locked her in our room. When they got word that the transport was attacked and the Omnitrix presumed destroyed, they went to release Hikari." Hikaru chuckled, "Imagine their faces when they found out she snuck out and went here."

'_What are you doing here, then?_'

"I was sent to get her," Hikaru said, "Since I have no Technological alignment and my magic being Dark cannot handle space travel, our father built me this ship."

'_Your father?_'

"Yes, he's a Light Technological, like Hikari." Hikaru sighed, "They wanted me to get Hikari back safely, so here I am."

Gwen began to harbor a new respect at the male Lumenigran. He had gone a long way to retrieve his sister without harm. Betrothed or not, at the moment, he was only being a concerned brother. '_Well, I hope you can get her back safely, too._'

Hikari smiled. "Thanks, Gwen," he bowed and kissed her forehead. "Rest now," he said as he stood up, "Tomorrow, we battle."

Gwen allowed another blush to creep onto her cheeks as she heard the door whizzed open and close. _'I wonder_,' Gwen mused, _'He put me into his control, then made me say those horrible things, but why do I still feel this way about him? What is it with these Lumenigrans? It's like they're all natural charmers or some sort. _' Gwen felt herself exhale a lungful of air.

She then realized something, '_Wait, _battle'

* * *

Ben sat dumbfounded as he let Hikari work his Omnitrix. "How did you know the combination?" 

"It actually comes with the manual," Hikari replied as she carefully rotated the clock face a certain number of clicks. She glanced up to see Ben's face and laughed. "Of course I'm kidding," she said, answering his thoughts. She then returned to the Omnitrix.

"On Lumenigra," Hikari started, "there's this Online Galactic Encyclopedia that covers a lot of things about a lot of things. One chapter explains the Omnitrix. There's a message board there that I frequent a lot which talks about the Master Code. A lot of people posted possibilities, but one stood out. He mentioned this combination, but not long after he retracted his statement. He was never heard from again."

Hikari squinted her eyes as she slowly turned the clock face. She then continued, "Of course, I noted and learnt that combination by heart, in case it really is the Master Code," she finished by pressing a button, "and apparently, it is."

Ben looked to his Omnitrix and saw that it started to glow as the clock face scrolled through his available alien forms. "T-This was what happened last time! That _was_ the Code!" Ben exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement.

Hikari smiled at his enthusiasm. However, her smile quickly disappeared when her eyes fell on the note on the kitchen counter. Hikari remembered the words by heart, '_Meet me at the communications hut at noon tomorrow. You bring the boy and the Omnitrix, I'll bring the girl and the old man. We will finish this then._'

Ben noticed Hikari's sudden change of mood. He put both arms on her shoulder, slightly surprising her. "Relax, Hikari," Ben smiled, "With this at full power, I can take on anything."

Hikari smiled back. She closed her eyes and let herself fall into Ben's hug.

It was Ben's turn to be surprised, but he didn't reject her warmth. He wrapped his arms around her. "Everything's gonna be alright." As he brushed the alien girl's hair, he sighed, '_Yes, everything gonna be alright,_' he assured himself.

* * *

Morning came silently at the small town. As the sun rose, the big field on the edge of the town started to shine, reflecting the rays off leftover moon dew. At times, a strange upside-down bowl shape shimmered into sight, but never more than the time needed to blink. 

Gwen approached the morning with anxiety. Even though her body was fully rested her mind had been uneasy all night. She had decided to trust Hikaru one more time. She really wanted him to be able to take his sister back and out of their lives, and 'consequently', out of Ben's eyes. What she didn't understand was why do they have to battle. She was sure if she could talk to Ben about Hikaru, the three of them can persuade Hikari to return.

Gwen's ears registered the unique whizz of her room door opening. '_Hello, Hikaru._'

Hikaru smiled, "Good morning, dear Gwen," he bowed slightly even though she couldn't even open her eyes. "I have been watching you lately, and..."

'_What?!_' Gwen exclaimed, '_You didn't watch me sleep, did you? You sick perv..._'

"I did no such thing," Hikaru's voice remained calm, although now it contained a hint of an amused smile. "I merely observe an aura of magic around you. Tell me, are you adept at magic?"

'_I wouldn't say adept,_' Gwen replied, '_but I did manage to throw a spell once. It backfired, though, stupid hazmat suit._'

"Was that your first experience in using your magic?"

'_Not really,_' Gwen remembered, '_I once found this Charm of Luck, it made me super lucky. Everything I did came to my advantage._'

Hikaru hummed. "You may come in handy later."

Gwen could feel her heart beating faster, '_You mean...in the battle?_'

"Indeed,"

'_I'm not going to help you fight your sister. Or Ben._'

"You won't have any choice," Hikaru reminded her, "You're still in my control."

'_But I can scream into your mind. We'll see how good your magic will be when you can't concentrate._'

Hikaru turned at her. "Yes, we'll see," He then turned around and walked out of the room.

* * *

Ben woke up with a loud sigh. He tried to roll over, but failed. He sleepily opened his eyes. At first, he couldn't recognize the item in front of him, but then he realized it was the N-Field Generator. His brain, heart, and nervous system then got a real shocker when he realized he was sleeping on his bed with Hikari, hugging each other. 

Ben gulped. He stealthily tried to take his hands off the alien girl without waking her up.

"Hnnn..." Hikari sighed as Ben removed her hands from him.

Ben finally managed to 'escape'. He tip-toed away and out of the sleeping area. Walking towards the kitchen, he held his rumbling chest, '_How did we get into _that _position?_' he asked himself. '_Last thing I remember was me telling her that it's gonna be alright._'

Ben glanced back at the his bed. Hikari was still asleep. He lifted his left arm and gazed at his Omnitrix. '_Wow, the Master Code,_' he mused as he pressed a button, '_Now I can use this thing to its full potential._' He then grinned, '_Hikari said that the meet-up time is noon. I have a lot of free time, here. Maybe I can start giving rides again._'

Ben turned the Omnitrix to select an alien form and slammed the clock face, "Come on, Stinkfly!"

However, instead of turning him into an alien, the Omnitrix started to glow white.

Ben frowned, "What the...?!"

The white glow started to expand over his hand and arm and soon it covered his whole body.

Ben could feel his head getting lighter. "T-This isn't...how it's...supposed to..."

Ben managed to turn around. With the last of his time where his eyes were open, he could see a black silhouette. And with the last of his time where he was conscious, he could hear Hikari say a word.

"Gotcha,"

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED... 

Author's notes: Dun, dun, duuun! Oh, noes!1! What do we have here?! Unlike previous chapters, no sneak peeks (crowd boos) Oh, shut up. That's all I'm gonna say on the matter. You'll just have to wait until I release the next chapter. The story is completed, though ;) But you must be patient. I will release the chapters on Tuesdays and Fridays as per usual.  
Hmm, Online Galactic Encyclopedia. I wonder if it's wiki-based? Hahaha, guess where I get my all Ben 10 information from.  
Also, with the children (yes, _do_ remember they're still children) split into two groups like this, it's kinda hard to keep the flow of the scenes. I had to switch POVs a lot of times so I can give out all the pertinent information (and hide some facts as well).  
Short one again, this chapter, but I can't fit anything else here. All the rest will have to go to the next one. It's going to be mostly filled with battle. Who's battling whom? Will it be Hikari vs. Hikaru? Ben vs. Gwen? Ben vs. Hikaru? Hikari vs. Gwen? Ooh, lookit all the possibilities.

PS: If you could've sworn that Hikari's translation of the ransom note to Ben (in the previous chapter) and in her mind (in this chapter) was different, well, that's because they are. Did I make you look again? Did you spot the difference? Oooh, who's telling the truth, really?! Does that last scene give you any hints? Are you sure? Are you sure? Are you _sure_?


	6. Light vs Dark

Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or any of its characters. However, I do own all those who is not a cast of Ben 10, so don't touch them. If you want to use them, my contact info is on my profile. Contact me and we'll see.

Author's Notes: While Ben is under control, I will call him only by his alien form names. The cast will continue to call him Ben.

* * *

The shack looked abandoned. One side of it looked like it had been hit by a huge boulder, leaving a big hole on the wooden wall. It was all quiet, save for an almost silent humming of a machine. At times, a strange upside-down bowl shape was visible.

Gwen, unable to resist, allowed her body to move through a door into a room where Hikaru was waiting. It was the room where Hikaru used his magic to make an image on thin air to search for Ben and Hikari. Gwen noticed a missing presence, but in her state, she couldn't do a double check.

"It's nearly time," Hikaru hummed.

Gwen decided to ignore what she felt just then and concentrated on Hikaru. '_You're really gonna fight your sister?_'

"If that's what needs to be done, then yes."

'_I'm not gonna fight Ben. Or Hikari._'

"What if they decide to attack us without mercy?"

Gwen silenced for a moment. '_Ben would never attack me. Not for real._'

"We shall see." Hikaru said as he turned and went towards Gwen. He offered a hand, "Shall we?"

Gwen felt her hand rising to take his. A moment later, they began to dematerialize.

**BEN 10: Light Isn't Always Good**

**Chapter 6: Light vs. Dark**

Hikaru stood under the scorching sun of the almost noon sky, Gwen next to him. As their shadows shorten, they waited for Hikari and Ben to arrive. A slight breeze was enough to keep them from sweating profusely, but it didn't help Gwen from feeling the sting on her skin.

'_Oh, geez, can't we get out of the sun? I'm burning, here!_'

Hikaru didn't reply. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "They're coming."

Gwen looked forward to a dot on the sky. Hikaru was right, they were coming. Gwen managed a glance to her side. Hikaru was not in his blob form. Gwen's heart jumped. If Ben saw Hikaru being Hikari's twin, he may be confused enough to demand the truth. _Then_ maybe everything can go back to normal.

The wind picked up pace as Stinkfly approached. He landed softly and Hikari jumped off his back. Gwen was directly in front of him, but Stinkfly kept his vision straight ahead, over her head. It was like he didn't recognize her.

Hikari sneered at her twin. "Not coming to get me with full power?" she asked. "Are you getting soft?"

Hikaru glanced at the Lepidopterran, then back at Hikari. "What did you do to him?"

The single question surprised Gwen. '_What happened to Ben? Hikaru! Tell me, what happened?_'

"I merely toyed with the Omnitrix, nothing dangerous," Hikari shrugged, "And her? What did you do to her?"

"He didn't do anything to me. I came under my own will." Gwen was slightly surprised to hear her voice coming out from her mouth. She grimly reminded herself that she was still in Hikaru's control.

"Oh, really?" Hikaru raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Then you're just as free willed as him."

Gwen could actually feel her heart skip a beat. '_What did she do to Ben? Did she do something to the Omnitrix?_'

Hikaru gritted his teeth. He glanced at Gwen, then Stinkfly, and finally at Hikari. "Leave the earthlings alone. We should settle this between ourselves."

Hikari laughed. "Since when are _you_ Light-aligned, dear brother?"

Gwen almost choked. It was true! They _are_ siblings!

"I may not be Light-aligned," Hikaru started to raise his voice, "but _you_ are! Why are you doing all this? So you can play with the Omnitrix? It's not a toy! It's a dangerous device of destruction!"

"Hikaru," Hikari shook her head in a disbelieving manner, "you of all people should understand the joys of destruction. Do you even call yourself Dark-aligned?"

Hikaru narrowed his eyes, "Not all Darks deal with destruction, Hikari." He raised a palm at her, and it started to turn black, "Surrender now and return to Lumenigra with me."

"Or what?"

Hikaru turned his hand to aim at Gwen's head. "I'll kill her,"

'_What?!_'

"What?!" Hikari widened her eyes. She gritted her teeth. "You wouldn't dare,"

"Try me."

The Lumenigran siblings stood face to face, tensely. A breeze went between them, intensifying a sort of Western standoff. Hikaru had his hand pointed at Gwen's head, while his sister gritted her teeth next to Stinkfly.

"No fair," Hikari pouted, "you always use my alignment against me. You know I can't let someone be killed."

Hikaru smiled, "I'm Dark-aligned. I use all available tactics."

"Well, I'm Technological," Hikari sneered, "I'm smart. Ben, now!"

Stinkfly shot a wad of stink goo at Hikaru as he took flight, forcing the male Lumenigran to jump aside, leaving Gwen wide open for Stinkfly to swoop back down and grab her, flying away.

Using the chaos, Hikari activated her N-Field Generator and began to glow white. Suddenly moving at a speed comparable to XLR8, she dashed at her brother.

Hikaru managed to raise both hands to form a cross in front of his face, blocking Hikari's punch. In one move, he pushed her backward and raised his hand. He started to glow black, and within moments, his body was covered in black blob. However, he didn't have a chance to block Hikari's incoming kick at his abdominal area.

Hikari drop-kicked the large blob so hard, she knocked him back a few feet. She then turned to see Stinkfly putting Gwen on the ground a distance away. "Ben! Come here and help me!" she exclaimed.

"No so fast!" Hikaru exclaimed as he saw Stinkfly flying towards them. "Gwen, Second Spell, the Lepidopterran, go!"

Gwen could feel her hand move and her fingers opening, showing both palms at Stinkfly. She then felt words in her throat, a moment before it jumped out without her control, "Aqua Turbinis!"

A column of swirling water shot out of Gwen's open palms and hit Stinkfly square on his back, disabling his wings, making him fall onto the ground with a loud thud.

'_W-What was that...? Did I just...?_' Gwen couldn't believe her eyes.

"What?!" Hikari exclaimed. She turned to her brother, "I didn't know she could do magic!"

"So did I, at first." Hikaru confessed. "But she had enough mental powers to keep herself aware, even under my hypnosis. She's going to be a great sorceress one day. "

Hikari fumed. She turned to the downed Lepidopterran, "Ben, change into a strong form and help me!"

Both Hikaru and Gwen were surprised to see Stinkfly glow green and promptly change directly into Diamondhead.

"I see," Hikaru said, "You used the Master Code on him."

Hikari wanted to smile, but her face showed concern at what Ben had chosen as his form.

Hikaru noticed her reluctance and remembered. He raised a blobby limb as it folded inside, forming a trumpet-like hole.

"Ben! Evade!"

Diamondhead jumped aside as Hikaru's blue orb flew past him. He raised his own hands and retaliated with a few flying crystal spikes.

Unfortunately, sharp objects did little damage to Hikaru's blob form. The spikes slip in and came out his back, falling to the ground harmlessly. Hikaru retaliated with another blue orb.

"Ben! Change again! Another strong form!"

Diamondhead rolled aside, dodging the orb. After being enveloped by a green light, he stood up as Fourarms.

"A tetramand, excellent," Hikari nodded. She turned to her brother and exclaimed, "Attack!"

Hikaru did his best to block punches and kicks from his super-speed sister, as well as Fourarms' relentless punches. As resilient as Hikaru was, he couldn't block all attacks from two feet and six hands. "Gwen!" he managed to exclaim between blocks, "Eleventh Spell, me, go!"

Gwen, having yet to move from her spot without a command, couldn't help herself from lifting her left hand to the sky and pointing at Hikaru's blob form with her right hand, "Festinaré!"

Hikaru immediately felt the effect of hastening spell. He swiftly jumped back to evade the latest punches from Fourarms and delivered two of his own at the tetramand's chest, making him stagger back a couple of feet before falling on his back. Hikaru turned and delivered a swirling kick at his incoming sister, repelling her back a fair distance away.

He then turned at the prone tetramand. "The Master Code should only be entered by the Omnitrix wielder. Hmm, she must've put it in for him. Any other person entering it will allow their DNA in the Omnitrix. But to make it control the Omnitrix...Oh, he must've already..."

A loud exclamation broke Hikaru's train of thoughts as he found himself again battling his speedy sister. He's fast, but Hikari was using the N-Field Generator to its fullest potential, allowing her super strength and speed. Holding off punches and kicks, Hikaru managed to yell, "Gwen! Twelfth Spell, Hikari, go!"

This time, Gwen raised her right hand and pointed at Hikari with her left hand. Gwen had a hard time targeting her, with her jumping all over the place. However, she was able to anticipate Hikari's landing and exclaimed, "Tardéscere!"

"What the...?" Hikari could feel herself moving slower. She had barely turned her head when she received a big blow to her cheek, sending her tumbling away.

Hikaru straightened herself, knowing full well that such a 'soft' kick wouldn't hurt her sister as long as she had the Generator. He turned again to the still prone tetramand. "Could electricity short-circuit the Omnitrix? I'm not sure, but I can try. Gwen, Fifth Spell, this tetramand, go!"

'_No! I'm not...attacking...Ben...!_' But Gwen had no control over her body. She clapped her hands before raising them towards the sky. A puff of dark cloud suddenly formed above them. A shout of "Fulminis Percutere!" preceded a bolt of lightning striking the tetramand, shocking him with tens of thousands of volt, drawing a deafening roar.

Fourarms moaned as small currents continued to swim across his body. Apparently, the lightning had little effect on him.

"Hmm, another hit, perhaps?"

"Oh, no you don't!" Hikari exclaimed as she delivered a drop kick on Hikari's blob form's head, sending him flying a couple of feet. "Ben, change into something else! Something...Something strong but also fast."

Fourarms stood up as he started to glow green. When the glow subsided, Wildmutt was standing on his spot.

"Hmm, it's a desert," Hikari mused, "A Vulpimancer's heat sense isn't going to help much."

"Let me take it up a notch," Hikaru said, rising to stand, "Gwen, First Spell, the vulpimancer, go!"

'_P-Please...stop making me attack Ben!_' Gwen could feel her body move without her control. She raised her right hand, her fingers apart, at the vulpimancer, "Incendere!"

In an instant, the vulpimancer was surrounded by a ring of fire. Whining in panic, he turned around, looking for a way out. He finally decided to brace it and jumped through. He managed to get out, but not without scorching his belly. He whined in pain as he lay on the ground.

'_No! Ben!_'

"No! Ben!" Hikari exclaimed as she jumped to his side. "Are you alright?"

"Don't you see, Hikari?" Hikaru started to walk towards her. "Fighting only makes our dearest suffer. Why can't you understand this? Light-aligned cannot handle..."

"DO NOT SAY IT!" Hikaru cried at her brother. She stood up and went to him, her expression showed deep anger and hatred. "DO NOT SAY THAT LIGHTS CANNOT HANDLE BATTLE!"

"So that's what this is all about," Hikaru replied calmly, "I'm not saying you can't handle battle, I'm saying you cannot handle the repercussions of battle."

Hikari narrowed her eyes, "Yes, I can," she said, stressing every word. "Lights aren't just goody two-shoes. We _can_ fight!"

Risking himself extensive injury, Hikaru released his blob form and returned to his own. Looking eye to eye with his almost reflection, he sighed. "Battle always results in casualties. People get killed. People get injured. Lights cannot handle the terrible burden of battle being put on their hearts," Hikaru explained, "Why do you think the government only allows Darks in the army? We can handle those burdens. We can also handle the burden of inflicting said burdens to enemies. Can you?"

Hikari silenced.

"Can you really attack me with all your power?" Hikaru asked again. "That's why you seek the Omnitrix, isn't it? So you can use the wielder to defeat me. That doesn't really prove that Lights can also do battle, does it?"

Again, Hikari didn't reply. However, a small whine from Wildmutt forced her to turn to him. Her heart almost melted at the sight of the vulpimancer in pain. "C-Can...Can you heal him?"

"Darks cannot heal," Hikaru replied, "but she can. Gwen, Seventh Spell, the vulpimancer, whenever you feel like it."

Gwen blinked, "What?"

Gwen tensed. Did she just say that out loud? She tried to raise her hand to her face. Slowly, her hand came into her field of vision. Hikaru had freed her. Without more thought, she ran to the vulpimancer and knelt next to him. Putting both hands on the side of his stomach, she sighed, "Medicáre,"

Wildmutt could feel his stomach quickly feeling better. A moment later, he was again standing proudly. He turned around and licked Gwen's face, drawing a ticklish laugh.

"S-Stop it, Ben!" Gwen managed to say between laughs.

Hikari watched the exchange with a smile. However, when she returned to face her brother, the smile had gone. "When did you get so smart?" she asked. "I don't remember you being this wise before,"

"I had...a talk." Hikaru smiled, looking aside.

Hikari followed his gaze and gasped. "Max! You're alright!"

Gwen quickly turned as well. "Grandpa!" She cried and ran straight at the smiling old man, jumping onto his hug. She finally realized it. It was her grandpa. His frozen form was missing from Hikaru's room.

"Ooh, Gwen, I'm not as young, you know." Max sighed as he hugged her granddaughter. He turned to the siblings. "Everything alright with you two?"

"That depends on Hikari," Hikaru said, returning to his sister, "Do you surrender?"

Hikari sighed. She stepped forward and fell into his hug, "I surrender,"

Hikaru smiled. He hugged her tighter, brushing her hair softly, "I'm glad. I may be Dark, but I couldn't bear to attack you for much longer,"

Hikari smiled as she snuggled into him. "You're such a softy, for a Dark, I mean."

They remained in the position for a moment.

"Um, sorry to interrupt," Max said, "but can any of you release Ben? I think he's been in that form for too long."

The Lumenigran siblings turned to see the vulpimancer scratching his head with his hind leg, drawing a laugh from everyone.

* * *

Hikaru and Hikari stood next to each other, facing a strange white half bowl shape. It looked like a ball three feet in diameter half buried. Gwen had wondered how such a small exterior can have a large interior. Hikari had tried to explain to her the concept of Space Folding, but she didn't even try to understand.

The siblings turned around to face Max, Ben and Gwen. "Thank you for everything," Hikaru said, offering a shake.

Max accepted the hand and shook it, smiling. "You're welcome. Say hello to Taiyou and Tsukiko for me."

Hikaru nodded while Hikari's eyes widened, "Y-You know our parents?!" she exclaimed.

"I've met them, yes." Max nodded. Glancing behind him, he smiled at his grandchildren's surprised faces. "They had a similar...quarrel."

The Lumenigran siblings glanced at each other, blushing slightly. "I guess, it runs in the family," Hikaru grinned.

"Um," Gwen started, "are your parents...siblings as well?"

"Of course," Hikaru replied, "If not, our powers would have been greatly diminished."

"We came from a long line of sibling parentage," Hikari smiled proudly.

"A-Are you going to be married, too?" Ben asked.

Hikari grinned. She jumped to his side and landed a kiss on the cheek, "I still like you, if that's what you mean."

Ben fell into deep blush, following a round of laughter by Max and the siblings. Ben glanced at Gwen and was mildly surprised to see her sulking.

"Well, before we go, there's something Hikari must do." Hikaru turned to his sister.

Hikari sighed, immediately turning sullen. She turned to Ben, "I'm sorry, Ben,"

* * *

TO BE CONCLUDED...

Author's notes: Aaaaah, so relaxing to finally tackle the sixth chapter. But what the hell...?! Where's the epilogue? Surprise! I realized that Chapter 6 is getting WAY too long. I decided to split them into two chapters. Chapter 7 will contain the final scenes as well as the Epilogue. No more mysteries will be created. No more mysteries will be revealed. If you feel that something is still not revealed or you have any other questions, do contact me through the email provided on my profile page and I'll answer them in my blog at LiveJournal.  
The spells cast by Gwen in this chapter is entirely created by me, and most probably grammatically incorrect XD I plucked them directly from a Latin dictionary I bought specifically for making these kind of stuff. I'm not gonna provide translations, but you can probably guess what each means by the effects of the spell. They are Gwen's spells instead of Hikaru's, but he was the one who pulled them out of her. He's just a catalyst for her magical abilities.


	7. Admission to You and Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or any of its characters. However, I do own all those who is not a cast of Ben 10, so don't touch them. If you want to use them, my contact info is on my profile. Contact me and we'll see.

* * *

"It's not fair," Ben pouted. He was slouching on the kitchen table. "Why can't I get to keep the Master Code while Gwen gets to keep her spells?"

"Now, Ben," Max said from behind the wheels, "Hikari explained to you that after you clear the Master Code once, entering it again would make you a mindless drone every time you change into an alien. Unless of course, it's entered by someone else, which will make you _their_ mindless drone."

"Still not fair,"

"But don't forget, the Omnitrix is designed to reprogram itself a new Master Code when one is used," Max reminded him, "Who knows, you might find it again someday,"

Ben's thoughts flew to when he met his future self, Ben 10,000. He wondered if he's really going to be like that someday.

"Aaah, so nice to get to move myself again," Gwen dropped herself onto the seat in front of Ben, drawing his stare. Noticing him, she raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"N-Nothing." Ben quickly looked away, slightly blushing. He had admitted to himself that he liked her, but admitting it to her was a whole different matter.

Gwen smiled, a slight blush creeping onto her own cheeks. She pointed down onto the table and whispered, "Um, Carminis Secunda Ménsa, Glácialis...Spúma Lactis...?"

A white, milky froth started to bubble on the table, drawing Ben's attention. The froth then rose and froze into some sort of a bubbly spike. "What are you doing?"

Gwen scratched her nose, "Maybe I should've tried something simpler. I was trying to make ice cream."

Ben looked at the rock hard block of cream. "Well, you made _iced_ cream," he shrugged.

A moment passed before the children started to giggle, then finally laughing. Max sighed in relief. He loves hearing his grandchildren laugh. They really made his day.

**BEN 10: Light Isn't Always Good**

**Chapter 7: Admission to You + EPILOGUE **

"Alright, I'll go and get us dinner," Max said as he pulled over to a gas stop.

"You're gonna buy...normal food,...right?"

Max laughed at his grandson's question. Winking at him, "Depends on your definition of normal," he said before walking outside.

"Oh, no," Ben gulped. "Gwen, tell me you've mastered that ice cream spell."

Gwen chuckled as she looked up from her computer. "Creating sustenance is high level magic, Ben. I can't do something that hard yet."

Ben paled. He quickly went for the door and burst outside, "Grandpa, wait!"

Gwen followed him with her eyes before returning to her laptop. She gulped as she felt her heart started to race. '_Now's the chance. No one's around. Oh, I hope they have free Wi-Fi around here._' She tried opening a site, and it succeeded, albeit a little slow. '_Yes! Now, for that...information._'

Gwen started to surf the internet, unaware that her face was starting to blush. She was looking for information about something specific, and potentially embarrassing. '_Come oh, hurry up! They can be back any time._' Gwen thought nervously. She clicked a link and the page started to load. Slowly. And she had had quite a bit to drink for lunch, "Oh, geez,"

Gwen stood up '_I can't leave it alone, someone could see it. But I don't want to turn it off either...I'm so close._' She made a decision and went to the bathroom.

Just as she closed the door, Ben walked in. "Hey, Gwen. Pizza tonight! Ha, who's your hero?"

Ben looked around the empty RV. "Gwen?"

"_Bathroom!_" came Gwen's muffled reply.

"Why didn't you just use the one outside?" Ben asked as he walked to sit at the kitchen table. "You're wasting water _and_ storage space."

Gwen didn't reply his question, instead she panicked, '_Oh, no! I didn't close my laptop. Oh, dear God, please don't let Ben see it. Please let him be not nosy just this once._'

But Gwen's wish didn't come true. She walked out of the bathroom and froze on her tracks. Ben was looking at her laptop screen. "I-It's not what you think!" she quickly exclaimed. "I...I'm just researching!"

Ben turned to her, his face blushing, "Why...are you researching cousin couples?"

Gwen looked down, avoiding his stare. She heard him get up and walked towards her. His feet came into her field of vision, and she looked away. He was standing in front of her. "I..." She didn't have the chance to continue. She jerked slightly as she felt Ben's hands on her shoulder. She was definitely blushing now. "Ben, I..." She turned to face him and choked.

Their faces were so close, they can feel each other's breaths.

"Gwen, I..." Ben started, but choked. He decided to restart, "When you were kidnapped...I...I realized that I..." Ben sighed, "I missed you,"

Gwen blushed, slightly surprised. "Same here," she admitted, raising her own hands and putting them on his shoulder. "I missed you too,"

"And, in that time," Ben continued, seemingly not listening, "I realized that I...I like you,"

Gwen smiled widely, "I like you too, Ben."

Ben raised both eyebrows. Blushing even more, he insisted, "I mean..._like_ like."

Gwen chuckled. "I know what you mean," she smiled, "Same here," she repeated.

Ben felt like a huge boulder was lifted off his shoulder. The feeling of dread was replaced by the warmth of Gwen's hands. Becoming relaxed, he glanced at her laptop, "I guess now I know why you're researching..._that_."

Gwen blushed, "I wasn't...I mean, it's not like we're gonna..." Gwen looked into his eyes, "Will we?"

Ben gulped, "L-Let's worry about that later. _Much_ later."

Gwen chuckled. She stopped in a choke as she felt Ben's hands dropped to her waist, pulling her.

"For now, we can start with..." Ben started, but didn't continue as his lips were occupied.

Gwen couldn't believe his boldness. She closed her eyes and savored the feeling. The warmth. The taste. The realization of Ben's lips on hers. Then came the panic. She pushed him away and turned around, puffing for breath.

"I...I'm sorry," Ben panicked, "I..."

"No, it's not your fault," Gwen said as she tried to regulate her breathing. She turned back to him and smiled. "I just...never imagined that you'd be my first kiss."

Ben's eyes widened, "Oh...I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." he sighed before looking away, "I know how it feels to have your first kiss taken away from you..."

"Yeah, I saw you and Hikari going at it," Gwen grinned.

Ben turned to her in an instant, "W-What?" he choked. If his face could get ever redder, it just did.

"I was eavesdropping," Gwen admitted, "Sorry,"

Ben looked down, avoiding her stare.

"But, for all its worth," Gwen continued as she moved closer, making her cousin look back up to her, "I'm glad you're my first and second kiss,"

Ben blinked. "Second?"

In less than a minute, Gwen had kissed her cousin twice. She held him close, savoring his touch on the back of her head. Her heart was beating rapidly, and her closeness to him allowed her to feel his heart beating as well.

Everything went smoothly, until...

"Uh-hum,"

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

Max was grinning ear to ear as drove through the night. Never once occurred in his mind that he'd catch his grandchildren in such a compromising situation. He knew they had grown to like each other, but he didn't think they've gone to the point of actually kissing each other.

A small chuckle escaped him as he remembered their faces when he walked in on them in the act. How they scrambled to find an excuse for their close proximity. How they fumbled to continue each other's words. How they failed miserably. And how they finally admitted that they were kissing.

He cherished their relieved look when he broke a smile.

He cherished their overjoyed look when he gave his approval.

But especially, he cherished their horrified look when he announced that he was going to give them 'the talk'.

Max glanced at his rear-view mirror. His precious grandchildren were sitting at the seat at the end of the RV, side by side, holding hands. He smiled as he saw Gwen laid her head on Ben's shoulder as they close their eyes, savoring each other's company.

Returning his eyes to the road, his thoughts wandered. Forty years before, he would've objected to the idea of cousins getting together. But now, forty years wiser, he almost surprised himself when he felt no objection at Ben and Gwen's budding relationship. He understood that there weren't really good enough reasons for cousins not to get together, thus he understand that to separate them would hurt everyone, even himself. Truly on the contrary, he saw this as an opportunity to tease them to his heart's content.

He chanced another glance and grinned slightly as he caught them kissing again. He resisted the urge of an '_I saw that!_', instead opting to let them enjoy each other. He'll have a lot of chances to embarrass them later.

Max took a deep breath as he realized that for once, all three of them would finally, definitely agree on one thing.

This is going to be the best summer ever.

* * *

**THE END**  
...for now.

* * *

Author's notes: Grinning as wide as Max was when I wrote the Epilogue, I finally finished this story. This final one is not as long as the other chapters because it was originally a part of Chapter 6. It was getting too long so I chopped this part off and raised it as a standalone chapter. Not much of a storyline, here; this chapter could stand on its own as a one-shot if the opening scene wasn't there.  
However, I'm not entirely pleased with this chapter, especially the end. I had to rewrite it twice. At first it was too WAFFy, then it was too dry, and even now I don't think I've added enough WAFF in it. It's hard working without a Romance Muse, but I can't use that as an excuse. More about this on my blog.  
I am, though, entirely, positively, especially pleased with the Epilogue. I finally have some Max scenes. He doesn't say much, but his thoughts are some of the best my Humor Muse had ever given me. Tell me what you think of it! Review, PM, blog comment, direct email, whatever. If you never reviewed any chapter, at least review the Epilogue.  
Anyhoo, wow, I finished! Usually I _never_ finish anything past 5 chapters. Getting reviews and corresponding with like-minded people really helps in writing. I'd like to thank KitsunexMaxwell for her utmost devotion in this story, as well as for being the one who can draw a lot of stuff from my messy head into concrete writing. I also would say thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story. I try to reply to every signed review. If I miss any of you, I'm sorry. I'll definitely do it for the sequel.

...SEQUEL? (evil grin) Yes, a sequel is in consideration. You'll just have to wait and see.

This is StorymasterQ signing off. See you in the next story.

Cheers,  
SQ


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